Islands
by melicitysmoak
Summary: A trip on his father's yacht and a tropical storm changes Oliver's life forever. He survives and gets washed off the shores of Culion Island where he lives another life on a self-imposed exile because of guilt and shame. Three years later, a stranger with a life's mission and a complicated history walks into his lonely life, and Oliver is forced to come to terms with his past.
1. Chapter 1

**ISLANDS**

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_A/N: Yet another farewell fic for Arrow. I think this imaginative streak will last until the series finale. ;-) I know I've been aiming to stop, but once again I beg your indulgence._

_This one is dedicated to a special reader who's cheered me on and believed in me even after a very discouraging time in my fanfiction writing phase. Thank you, toodles , from the bottom of my heart._

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**Chapter 1**

The first thing Oliver noticed about this woman is her porcelain white skin. It isn't too hard to notice since the pair of perfectly shaped, unblemished limbs are barely covered by her denim beach shorts. Her arms and most of her back are also bare, as she walks barefoot on the sand, approaching the mildly crashing waves on the shore.

From where he sits under the shade of one of the shorter palm trees that lined the beach, he has a perfectly clear view of her, with her back turned against him. He hasn't caught her attention yet, as her enjoyment of her tropical seaside surroundings is making her pleasantly oblivious to his presence. He's been watching her quietly for some time now, and without even seeing her face, he already thought she was a beautiful woman. He smiles to himself, realizing that this is the first time in a very long time that he feels mildly attracted to a woman.

Not that there's a dearth of beautiful girls on the island. He's been living in this small, rural fishing village on the island of Culion for three years now, ever since he'd been washed up on its shores a few days after he'd suffered shipwreck due to a tropical storm in the South China Sea. The young women in town have since been more than fond of him, especially because he was a white-skinned foreigner, and a very handsome one at that. However, he has never fancied any one of them, by choice, feeling that he could never be worthy of someone's love or affection because of the despicable things he'd done that led to his well-deserved misfortunes – that is, not until Mang Mario approached him a few months ago about his daughter Celia.

He owed the kind, old fisherman a lot.

Mang Mario was the one that had found him unconscious in the life raft on the shores of Culion that fateful day. He and his family were the ones that cared for him and nursed him back to health. He was the one that taught him how to fish, a trade that he never thought (in his wildest imagination) a once spoiled billionaire-playboy like him could learn. Mang Mario became a father figure to Oliver, helping him deal with the struggles of adjusting to a new life on the island, a life that was worlds apart from the life he'd lived in Star City since childhood.

The thought of Mang Mario and everything his family had done for him, as well as Celia's innocent smiles that were always directed his way, break him out of the reverie of watching the lovely stranger that stood on the beach, holding her broad-rimmed native hat in place to keep the sea breeze from blowing it away. No, he can't afford to imagine that he could ever fall in love with someone he could develop genuine affections for. Happiness isn't his to look forward to. Even matters of the heart are part of his penance. After all, giving up his happiness is just a small sacrifice in exchange for the two precious lives that were lost when the _Gambit_ sank during the typhoon – all because of his imprudence (which cost a dear friend her life) and the necessity of his existence (which cost his father's life).

His old self would have already pranced to the pretty woman's side and worked his charm to get her name and number (not that there's a cell site in the islands that would make it possible for them to keep in touch), but not this new Oliver. This man has accepted his boundaries and the sacrifices he needs to make to be able to forgive himself at last. But when the woman steps into the water and begins to wade further, deeper, he instantly stands and hurriedly approaches her.

"Hey!" he hollers frantically. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

His loud, anxious voice rings out, and fortunately, the woman hears him. She turns and sees the alarm on his facial expression and body language as he waves at her and motions for her to turn back to the shore.

When she is just a few feet away from Oliver, she removes her sunglasses and asks him, "Hi! Is there something wrong?"

"Yes, uhm," he stutters, not knowing how to respond. Her smile is brighter than the sunshine that very pleasant morning, and her eyes are as blue as the cloudless sky above. For a second or two, he forgets what made him call out to her worriedly a moment ago.

"The waters… The waters here aren't really safe. Jellyfish and sea urchins," he explains as he somehow composes himself. "And there's lots of corals here. They're pretty, but sharp. You don't want to get your feet cut."

"Oh," the woman says, nodding. "Thanks for the warning. The water feels so nice and cool. I was tempted to go for a dip." She flashes him a winsome smile again, showing how grateful she is.

"This isn't the place for that. Locals and tourists usually swim on the other side of the island where there aren't too many corals and sharp rocks underneath the waters," he explains further. "See those boats over there?" He points to the row of fishing boats in the distance. "This is where local folks go out to sea to fish."

"I see. Well, thanks again for calling out to me in time, Mister?"

"Uh…" He isn't sure how to answer a simple question. The look on the woman's face as she smiles at him, expecting a response, is one of sincerity and honesty and light. For a fleeting moment he considers not lying to her like he's lied to everybody else on the island for three years, but he relents.

"Jonas. Jonas Dearden," is the response he settles on.

"Hello, Jonas. It's very nice to meet you," the woman greets him cheerfully. She offers her hand for him to shake. "My name is Felicity. Felicity Smoak."

"Hi," Oliver greets back succinctly. He shakes her hand, and then he lets go far too soon. The contact makes him flinch, as if he's burned by the touch. He already feels guilty about lying to her, and he knows it.

"Are you from here, Oliver?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Really? I thought you were probably a tourist. You kind of stick out like a sore thumb in this place, if you know what I mean." There's an inquisitive look on her face that Oliver finds quite amusing, but he reins in his feelings just like he always does when he remembers that he doesn't really have a right to be happy.

"I've lived here for a few years," he tells her briefly and vaguely.

Apparently it makes her even more curious, so she asks, "Oh? What do you do here?"

"I fish."

Her eyes widen in surprise, and she bites her lip. She looks even more adorable as her searching eyes study his face to see whether or not his claims are believable. "That explains the tan then," she says, her fingers pointing at his arms and shoulders, "and the well-toned biceps… and the abs…" She clears her throat and looks away. She removes her hat and begins fanning herself with it, obviously embarrassed and self-conscious over her slightly inappropriate remark. The gesture allows her golden blonde hair to cascade down her neck and shoulders.

Oliver is nervous. He woke up that morning to yet another ordinary day in his island life, and he isn't prepared for this complication. He knows that if he carries on this conversation any further, this adorable, petite blonde is going to begin inching her way into his heart. He's precariously hanging on to the last bit of restraint that holds his emotions together, hoping that it doesn't give way.

Thankfully, he doesn't have to respond because Felicity finds her bearings once again and speaks. "Well, I'm here for work. It's a mission, really, at least for me," she tells him. "I'm the new ALS teacher for the children in town. You must have heard about it. The UNESCO computer literacy project?"

Oliver purses his lips and shrugs. "No, sorry."

"It's okay," she assures him. "I've just arrived yesterday. The people are really nice and friendly and very accommodating. But the language is… challenging."

He feels like he is warming up to her, not because he's the one adjusting. She seems to be the one responsible for making him feel less edgy. "I know," he says. "I felt that way before. But the language is not that hard, really. I've learned to speak well enough to carry on a decent conversation. Reading is a totally different story."

"You think maybe you could show me around town sometime? I could use someone who can speak enough Filipino for me not to humiliate myself unnecessarily," she requests.

Her nose scrunches in a really cute way, and without much thought or hesitation, he agrees. "Sure. If you're not doing anything now, I'm free until lunch time."

"Great!" says Felicity.

The rest of the morning is spent getting to know each other and Oliver introducing Felicity to some of the townsfolk. Oliver brings her to the door of her rented beachside cottage and leaves, wondering what he has gotten himself into. Felicity Smoak has barged into his life unannounced, and he has a nagging feeling that she is going to turn his quiet, solitary, self-imposed exile around.


	2. Chapter 2

**ISLANDS**

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_Summary: Two hearts grow fonder on the islands._

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**Chapter 2**

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It's not that difficult to fall in love with Felicity Smoak. Oliver has made up his mind about it sometime in the past four weeks. They've been seeing each other almost every day whenever he would finish his daily duties. The prospect of seeing her earlier prods him day after day to work hard, sell his fish to the market vendors and street vendors lined up on the beach as soon as possible, so that he could clean up and come by her cottage to see what she felt like doing for the day.

Felicity has gotten under his skin no matter how hard he tries to wash her off him with a swim in sea water. Each time they part ways after doing something productive together around town or just having fun on the island, he tells himself that it's the very last time he's doing it and then he's done; nevertheless, he finds himself drawn to her again the very next day.

They've hiked around the island twice, only because she obliged him when he suggested that it was the best way to appreciate the beautiful scenery that Culion has to boast of, even if she isn't much of an outdoor type of girl, he has discovered soon enough.

They've also gone island-hopping, which was something that she had enjoyed even though she ended up with nasty sunburn on her shoulders and limbs at the end of the day. What he had enjoyed more was teaching her how locally grown aloe vera soothes the skin better than the commercially manufactured product that she'd brought with her, simply because she'd let him help her apply the aloes on her skin. That was the day that things between them began to shift. He can tell by the way she looks at him fondly and affectionately speaks what she does not know is his fake name. He hopes she can also tell that he feels the same way.

Sunburn hadn't stopped her from the sight-seeing and swimming trip on Coron Island, a popular tourist destination, which he had suggested when she told him how much she enjoyed the island-hopping a few days prior. Oliver knew he was in danger of falling into the deep end the moment Felicity took off running into the cool, clear, blue-green waters of the little island cove that he took her to, wearing just her emerald green, two-piece bikini, and turning back to smile and wave at him to come join her.

He can't recall when or how it happened that they found themselves locked in an embrace, chest-deep in the most soothing waters in the middle of the most beautiful paradise on earth. What he can recall is how that moment had made everything in him come alive, as if he'd awaken from a deep, years-long slumber. The urge to kiss a woman senseless came to him for the very first time in years. But when he was about to act on it, deciding to throw all caution to the wind, she had pulled out of his grasp, giggling as she swam away and teased him to come after her.

Another perfect moment like that hasn't come by since, but Oliver isn't disappointed. He's been finding that there are more ways than one to love and be loved by Felicity Smoak.

He's personally witnessed how she's shown kindness to the people who matter to him on the island, including Celia, who hasn't been very friendly to the only other American in the village – and understandably so. Oliver still can't bring himself to tell Felicity that the reason behind Celia's odd behavior is actually jealousy. He knows Celia has no right to be, for he hasn't given Mang Mario an answer to the offer yet, and he certainly has made sure he hasn't led her on – which is why he finds Felicity's tenacity at befriending Celia, despite the puzzlement the girl constantly gives her, quite impressive.

He has also shown Felicity how to fish. He's taken her twice on his fishing boat with Pedro, his young apprentice, at her request, and although she's been somewhat clumsy at holding the nets in place and hauling them back in, she's been giving it her one hundred percent, not minding the odor of fresh seafood clinging to her clothes and her ponytailed hair, not even the minor scratches and a few blisters on the palms of her hands since, for some strange reason, she refuses to work with the gloves he gives her. She is clearly way out of her comfort zone, but she has tried, and he knows that a huge part of it is because of him. He's loved her all the more for it.

In the past week, they have not been able to spend as much time together as they used to, what with her starting the computer literacy classes with some children and teens in the village that registered with the _barangay_ for the UNESCO's special ALS project. By the time he's done fishing and marketing his catch, she's supposed to start her classes. When she's done teaching, the afternoon showers come, ushering in the beginning of the rainy season on the islands, so there's not much they can do outdoors that doesn't require getting drenched. He can't complain, though, and he doesn't. Because watching her in action, helping the young ones in the village learn how to put together and use basic computer hardware is not only exciting; it is inspiring. Felicity does her job with passion, without holding back, and it's obvious that she loves the work she's doing. Oliver finds it puzzling why she would leave the comforts of city and corporate life and come to a remote village in a third world country, but it makes him even more proud of her. Even more smitten by her.

Yet now, he is in deep trouble.

Things must change between them after today's conversation, which started out just like every other fond conversation they've had. If Felicity noticed any change in his demeanor, she certainly did not show or speak of it. He'd rather she does not.

He is agitated that in all their exchanges and getting-to-know-you's in the past weeks, this is the first time she mentions one small but significant detail about her history. Of all the companies in the world she could have worked for before she quit to join the UNESCO a few months ago, why did it have to be his family's company? Of all the cities in the U.S. that she could have lived in for almost two years, why did it have to be Starling? Of all the girls that could have come to Culion's shores for him to fall in love with, why did it have to be her?

Oliver is appalled that Felicity hasn't recognized him at all. Maybe she has, but has chosen not to speak of it. He isn't sure. There is one thing he is sure of, though: he has to make sure she never does.


	3. Chapter 3

**ISLANDS**

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_Summary: Felicity reflects on the changes in her life, her first month on the island, and whatever it is that she has with Jonas Dearden._

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**Chapter 3**

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Felicity is done wondering what went wrong. She is hurt and she is angry. Jonas has been avoiding her like the plague for almost a week now, and she has absolutely no idea why. Why the sudden shift in their friendship (or whatever it was turning into)? It's a mystery, and she definitely hates mysteries.

She was certain that something was going on between them, something wonderful, which she had surprisingly welcomed with open arms despite how heartbroken she had been a year ago. (Her mother would be so proud of her for finally moving on.) Just one month on the islands, with this man whom she found to be amazing in a complicated kind of way, and he has already managed to win her heart.

The almost-kiss moment that they shared in the paradise cove during the trip to Coron was proof enough. She is sure he feels the same way about her if his intensely passionate gaze and touch were any indication. So, why did his demeanor towards her suddenly change? He doesn't come by her beachside cottage or her classroom in the _barangay_ hall anymore, and whenever their paths cross in the village when she does her errands, he doesn't seem to be interested even in small talk. On two separate occasions, she has tried to ask him if he's okay or if something's wrong, but he only shrugs and tells her that he's tired and busy and needs to go on his way. She's upset and she's furious because she feels that Jonas is being unreasonable and unfair in treating her as if they haven't shared something special in the past weeks – even though they haven't actually clarified what that something was – without so much as an explanation.

He has no right to toy with her heart this way, especially since she is still healing and learning how to let go of the past and move on with her life – her complicated love life, specifically. She now regrets opening up to him and allowing herself to be vulnerable to a relatively new friend, no matter how close they were becoming. Why had she told him about Barry Allen, and how he'd been her secret love all throughout high school when she'd known all along that he was in love with her best friend Iris? Why had she told him about Ray Palmer, and how he'd put in a good word for her in his father's company as soon as they graduated from MIT, only for her to find out that he had expected her to agree to be his girlfriend just because he'd done her a huge favor? Why had she told him about Cooper Seldon, and how her first ever boyfriend had stolen her code in order to get ahead of her in the corporate ladder at Queen Consolidated when she had been the one that CEO Walter Steele had recommended for the promotion in the I.T. Department?

Jonas let her pour out her heart to him, and she did, thinking that she could trust a man once more after being hurt time and again. She risked sharing with him her soul, only to be spurned and despised by his sudden neglect and apathy. And the worse thing is that she doesn't even know why. How could she have been so stupid?

She's hurt and she's angry. But it's not just because of how Jonas is behaving towards her. If she's really being honest, she has to admit that she's also miffed because she misses him. Sorely. As much as she hates to admit it, she has fallen in love with the guy, with all his admirable traits and less than admirable flaws (and he surely has plenty). She can't bring herself to say it, but deep inside she's pining for him, and she's beginning to hate herself for it because she'd already promised herself after the Cooper debacle at Q.C. that she isn't going to let another man treat her in a way that makes her feel worthless, used, and undeserving of true love. Yet, here she is again, getting all wound up because Jonas Dearden is being an unreasonably stubborn man.

Today, however, Felicity is done being hurt and angry. She's determined to confront Jonas whether he likes it or not, which is why she intentionally got up early to head to the beach and meet him before sunrise when the fishing boats dock because she knows he can't just walk away from his day's catch to avoid her before he's done selling them to the vendors.

Felicity sits on the beach, watching the first light of dawn in the horizon. She can see the fishing boats in the distance, but can't really make out which one is Jonas's. She knows that it would probably take about half an hour or more before the boats head back to shore, but she came early on purpose.

She contemplates what's been happening in her life – the career she gave up in Starling City a little less than a year ago when she decided to resign (much to Mr. Steele's dismay) because she couldn't bear to be Cooper's subordinate after everything that happened, as well as their relationship that imploded as a result of her boyfriend's betrayal. She recalls how she temporarily moved back in with her mother in Vegas to give herself time to heal. She is grateful to her favorite college professor, Dr. Martin Stein, who had reached out to her with a referral to the UNESCO training program for ALS instructors among the youth in indigent communities overseas, specifically in the field of I.T. She's proud that she had gotten back on her feet and completed the six-month training in New York City, after which she was sent on her first assignment to the islands of Palawan in the Philippines.

This was her second chance at finding peace and purpose, and she was so sure that she would find it here and make a difference in people's lives just as she aspired for when she was young. Everything was proceeding as planned.

Until Jonas Dearden walked into her life.

Speaking of, Felicity looks up and sees that the first few boats have come ashore. Among them is his. She watches him jump off the boat and onto the sand, all muscle-y, and shirtless, and irresistibly attractive. She notes that it's not only his physique that she finds impressive; it's his qualities of being hardworking and persevering. He works hard almost every day to earn his keep so that he isn't a burden to Mang Mario and his family. In less than three years, he has overcome his trauma and the fear of the waters and has actually developed a kind of love relationship with the sea. Not too many victims of tragic shipwreck and prolonged amnesia can recover as quickly as he did and move on, she considers. And although she hasn't questioned why he isn't the least bit interested in finding out more about his past and in striving to get back to any family he has left in the States, she's proud of him, in a million different ways.

Nevertheless, it makes her feel even more conflicted than she already is. Jonas is an enigmatic yet amazing person, which makes it more difficult for her to remain indignant towards him for ghosting her for no apparent reason.

"What reason could there be?" she wonders painfully. Prior to their conversation when she shared about her complicated history in more detail than in their previous talks, he'd been his usual self. Had she said something to upset him?

Yes, he tends to be more broody, cautious, and withdrawn than most people, but he certainly has a light and funny side that he does not seem to let other people on the island see. Yet he let _her_ see that, and more. The villagers of Culion know how kind and thoughtful Jonas Dearden can be, but only Felicity Smoak knows how lovingly caring, gentle, and passionate he can be.

She approaches him cautiously as his back is turned against her. She motions for Pedro not to give away her presence, and the young man obeys. She's not sure whether or not Jonas would be willing to speak to her here, especially since there are many other fishermen and vendors around, but she musters enough courage to see her mission through.

"Hi, Jonas," she calls out to him from a few feet away.

She knows he's heard her the first time she says his name because his muscles tense up and his sweaty back stiffens. But he doesn't turn, so she calls him again, and this time, he acknowledges her presence by looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Hey, I was wondering if we could talk?" she asks him, and her voice is resolute, but she knows that he can tell she's almost begging because his apathetic façade begins to fade. She takes this as her cue and adds, "If, after we talk, you still think that avoiding me on this tiny island is the way you want things between us to play out, then you'll never have to speak to me again."

Jonas puts down a pail full of fresh fish. He looks at her for a while, clearly contemplating what his response to her request should be. He blinks, and then he takes a deep breath before he replies, "I'll come by later when your class is done. I'll walk you home, and we can talk there."

Felicity flashes him a half-smile and nods. "Okay, later then."

A walk and a talk. She doesn't want to worry about what happens after that. For now, they've both offered an olive branch each, and that is good enough for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**ISLANDS**

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_Summary: A very unpleasant turn of events has Oliver regretting the direction he'd taken in his relationship with Felicity._

_Trigger Warning: This chapter has descriptions of illnesses, which include bleeding. So if the mention of blood bothers you, you might want to skip those parts._

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**Chapter 4**

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Oliver feels terrible and miserable and lost. The last time he'd felt this way was after he'd been found in the life raft on the shores of Culion Island a few days after the shipwreck, starved and dehydrated. He'd spent almost a year steeped in grief, overwhelmed with regrets, drowning in guilt, and just feeling… lost.

He feels the same way again.

He regrets everything that's happened in the past twelve days.

He regrets ignoring Felicity and rejecting her attempts at mending what only he had been responsible for ruining. In his childish effort to keep his real identity and his past hidden, he had pushed her away – the woman he has learned to love so dearly (and secretly) – for fear that she might soon put the pieces together and come to discover who he really is. Who knows what she will do once she has figured it out? Sure, he had finally given in and agreed to talk, and talk they did, with a lot of angst and raised voices, mostly hers. However, after an intense, hour-long exchange, it was obvious to both of them that nothing had been resolved. He had given her an explanation – which had sounded to her more like an excuse – for the weird way that he'd been acting towards her, but he had only made matters worse between them. She had walked away more hurt than before.

He regrets pushing her away even further than he already had. She had honestly told him how she felt about him and how she feels very strongly that he must feel the same way about her. She laid her heart bare, even asking him why he was making no sense at all, why his words did not match his actions in the past weeks since they'd met. In response, he had apologized for unintentionally leading her on and making her think that he cares about her in a romantic way. He knows that it was all a lie – including the part where he told her that he sees her simply as a good friend. Nevertheless, it was the best way he knew to keep his identity and his whereabouts concealed from the world.

He regrets telling her about Celia, about Mang Mario's suggestion that he marry the old man's youngest daughter (since he had made it abundantly clear to the family that he has no plans of leaving the island and finding his home), and about his decision to wed the local girl who has had a crush on him since he arrived on the island on that fateful day. He regrets not telling her that he knows said decision is going to trap him in an unhappy marriage and that he wasn't marrying out of love at all. He knows he's wounded her deeply, and at the time he was so sure that the initial pain he caused was not only something that she would eventually recover from, but also something that was necessary for things in his life (and hers) to remain the way they were.

He regrets taking a step back and pushing away the woman he has learned to love – still loves. He regrets not telling the truth about how he feels about her, as well the as the truth about his identity and his past, when he had the chance to come clean that he'd been lying to her all along. He regrets letting go of the only person who has brought light and joy back into his life. He knows now how stupid and immature he's been, how cruel he's been to her, and how he would never be able to recover from losing her permanently.

Felicity might not make it through the night. He may never get the chance to make things right, never have the opportunity to tell her how much she means to him.

* * *

Five days ago, he'd walked by the _barangay_ hall where she held her ALS classes and was curious as to why her students were leaving the school earlier than usual. An older student told him that Ms. Smoak had dismissed them early because she wasn't feeling well and had to go home to rest. He hadn't thought much of it and had refrained from checking on her because of the way that things ended between them after their talk a few days prior. He thought that she probably just felt tired or caught a cold since she might be adjusting to the rainy weather in the islands at this time of the year.

But when Felicity missed school the next day, and the day after that, Oliver had decided that something was terribly wrong. He'd found her alone in her cottage, shivering and running a high fever, and severely dehydrated not just because of her temperature, but also because she'd had bouts of vomiting too. She had refused to be taken to the clinic in the village, saying that she just might have caught the flu virus. He had disagreed, warning her of how serious her condition might be, going so far as to suggest that she might have contracted malaria, a mosquito-borne disease that's endemic to the islands of Palawan. She had declined. She'd told him that she had taken prophylactic anti-malaria medications weeks before flying to the Philippines and that she was still taking her meds on a weekly basis, so there was really no cause for alarm. She convinced him that she'd rather stay home since she'll probably start feeling better in a day or two.

Oliver respected her decision, yet even then, he had still been quite concerned. With her permission, he had taken it upon himself to care for her while she was sick. It had been a bit awkward in the beginning, but Felicity was too weak she could not even sit up on her own to feed herself the soup he had cooked for her. So, she set aside her hesitation and hurt, and she let him take care of her until she recovers. He didn't leave her side until her fever broke the next day. He thought that since she was starting to feel better, it was his perfect opportunity to leave her for a while to get some supplies, buy her some food, and bring her more drinking water and medicines just in case the fever comes back.

When he came back in the afternoon, Felicity was running a slight fever. But that wasn't their main concern. Reddish purple rashes appeared on her hands and feet and seemed to be spreading upward to her torso. Oliver had seen this on patients before, when he had taken Mang Mario to the hospital in Culion town proper for a check-up last year. This was definitely not a simple case of the flu, nor was it the dreaded malaria. He packed a bag of her basic necessities, and then he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the village where they caught a ride on a tricycle that immediately took them to the Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital, which was in the next _barangay_ a few miles from their little seaside village.

When they got to the hospital, her temperature had not gone up significantly, but the doctors in the E.R. told them that she still needed to be admitted since she was severely dehydrated. She was brought to a private room and hooked up to an I.V. and a med tech had drawn blood as per doctor's orders. By the time the lab results came back late that night, there were already rashes on her torso, which were beginning to spread up to her neck. The doctor confirmed Oliver's earlier suspicion. Felicity did not have malaria; she had dengue, another mosquito-borne virus that had broken out in the islands in recent years – for which she had not been given a vaccine prior to arriving in Palawan.

It turns out, during the time he'd been avoiding her, Felicity had gone to visit a student of hers that had been absent from class for almost a week. She'd been relieved to find that the boy hadn't been sick or injured; he had simply been helping his mother, who had just given birth to his youngest sibling. The problem was that Felicity had not known that the village where this boy lived has been reported to have had cases of dengue fever in the last six months, and she had not been able to protect herself from possible mosquito bites using insect repellant. She hadn't known, but Oliver knew. She had trekked the two miles downhill to the boy's village near the river, alone and unprotected. Because he wasn't there for her.

On their second day at the hospital, the bleeding began. He couldn't look at her beautiful blue eyes, which had become blurry and bloodshot, without feeling as if his heart was being stabbed by a thousand daggers. He tried to make her sip clear broth from a spoon or water through a straw, but he faltered, barely holding back his tears when he saw her gums bleeding. He feared he might find some blood in her urine or bowels soon, just as the doctor gently warned him to expect.

* * *

Oliver blames himself – not just for her getting seriously ill, but for everything. He should have been there for her. He should have cared, and not just when she was already sick.

He hates it. Himself most of all.

He can't believe he's going to be responsible for another loss of life.

He can't believe he's going to lose her – literally and completely, this time.

He can't lose her, not like this. But he just might. He should have let her in when he could.

What he would give to turn back time and undo what he'd so foolishly done! If she somehow comes out of this alive, he promised himself that he would tell her how much he really cares. He'd tell her how utterly mistaken he'd been to push her away for self-protection. He would tell her that he loves her. He would tell her _everything_, consequences be damned.

"Oh, Felicity," he whispers with a sigh, as he gazes on her sleeping form on the hospital bed beside him. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Oliver regrets everything – the lies, most of all. He's in so much pain that his trauma from three years ago comes rushing back, threatening to consume his soul.

There was a reason that Culion Island has been called "Paradise Lost" for generations. A hundred years ago, Hansenites were brought here to live in isolation from the rest of the Philippine islands. The leper colony, or what the locals also referred to as "The Island of No Return," had been home to those who could no longer be integrated to society because of a repulsive disease. When Oliver learned about the history of the island from the locals, he knew that being marooned on it was his destiny. He felt like a diseased leper that ought to be quarantined for life because it was his fault that his friend Sara and his father Robert had died, and because he had lived. He was convinced that he did not deserve to survive even if he was the unworthy one that did. He did not deserve to go home and face his family, not after the untimely demise of two people he loved in the tempestuous waters of the South China Sea, not after his father had taken another man's life and his own life just to ensure that his only son would somehow make it to safety alive.

Oliver Queen did not deserve to be happy for precisely those reasons, and the likelihood of Felicity Smoak dying proves what he has always believed since. It is that belief that seals his fate – that is, that the only path to absolution is for him to remain hidden and isolated from the rest of the world. This is his penance, and he had been willing and resigned to live with it – that is, until Felicity had walked into his life one day and had given him another viable option to a better future.

But, if Felicity does not make it through this, Oliver would revert to his original plan to live miserably on his island of isolation for the rest of his life. If Felicity dies, Oliver would never forgive himself, just like he's never been able to forgive himself for what happened to his father and his friend.

* * *

_A/N:_

_How is the story for you so far?_  
_I thought this fic would go only up to five chapters, but no. I think I will need two more for this story._

_1\. I think I've already mentioned previously that Culion used to be a leper colony in the first half of the 20th century during the American colonial period. People called it "Paradise Lost" or the "Island of No Return" because those sick with Hansen's disease (leprosy) were brought there to be isolated from society and there, they started a new life. Today Culion is no longer just a place for those inflicted with the disease, since leprosy has been wiped out in the region. There is a hospital that still treats sick people, the Culion Sanitarium and General Hospital. The population is made up of the descendants of the original Hansenites and migrants who have settled on the island through the decades since the island was declared leprosy-free. I thought that it was a fitting parallelism with Oliver's back story in this fic, so I went with it._

_2\. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that has been endemic in Palawan province for decades. It hasn't been completely eradicated in the islands, but it has been controlled by the health department and there are significantly fewer cases reported nowadays because of the prophylactic medicines and cures that have been developed. What's more alarming these days is the increase in the cases of dengue fever, which is another virus transmitted through mosquito bites. The symptom of high fevers is common to both diseases, but dengue is accompanied by rashes that appear when the fever breaks after 3-5 days. If the patient's immune system is unable to fight the virus, he or she may die. There is really no medicine to cure dengue since it's caused by a virus, which is self-limiting. The key is to strengthen the patient's immune system and keep him or her hydrated. There is, however, a vaccine that helps to prevent it._


	5. Chapter 5

**Islands**

* * *

_A/N: I did not forget about this story. As in my other WIPs, writer's block and real life have been a bad combination these past weeks. I'm sorry it took three months to update this. I hope it hasn't dampened your interest, and that you are still reading and following. Thank you so much! :-) This chapter is told from Oliver's POV again._

_Summary: Felicity pulls through a near-death experience, and Oliver is relieved. A visitor comes._

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"How is she?" the dark-skinned stranger asked Oliver.

Oliver heard the other American's question, but he still can't bring himself to look away from Felicity's sleeping form. She looks so peaceful as she rested, no longer afflicted with fevers and splitting headaches. He feels like ignoring the tall guy who introduced himself a while ago as Curtis Holt, one of Felicity's colleagues from the UNESCO, whom the Manila office had sent to look into her well-being when the _barangay_ official in the village reported that she had become seriously ill. Nevertheless, Oliver knows that he can't pretend as though he doesn't understand the question either.

"The doctors say the worst is over. Her liver took a beating, but she's going to make it," Oliver answers hesitantly. The way he says it also gives Curtis the impression that he is the one who needs to hear those words more than Mr. Holt.

"Well, I've known Felicity for only less than a year, but we clicked. From what I've seen, she is a really strong person," says Curtis, moving from the foot of the hospital bed to the other side of his sleeping friend.

"Yeah, she is," Oliver says softly, as if he doesn't really want the other guy to hear it. He also wants to say that Felicity is an amazing woman, a kind and thoughtful person, honest and straightforward. But he keeps it to himself. He really isn't in the mood to carry on a conversation with another stranger from his home country who might ask more questions that he isn't ready or willing to answer.

"I got on the first available flight to Busuanga as soon as we learned about what happened to her," Curtis explains, even if Oliver isn't the least bit interested in what he has to say. Oliver's body language communicates as much, but Curtis seems oblivious as to how uncomfortable Oliver is becoming in his presence. "She's not just a co-worker to me, you know," he adds, smiling down at his friend.

That's when Oliver shifts his gaze from the woman he loves to the guy who thinks of her as more than a co-worker. Curtis winces as though Oliver's steel stare has just stabbed him through the heart. "Oh, I didn't mean it that way. She's a really good friend. We have a really normal, healthy friendship. Of the very platonic kind."

Curtis shuts his eyes for a second due to sheer embarrassment. Another second later, his eyes open wide as if a light bulb has just turned on in his head. He clears his throat and adds with palpable unease and awkwardness, "I kind of know that the two of you have some kind of undefined relationship going on. _Had,_ rather. She tells me these kinds of things. Minus the specifics, of course."

Oliver takes his words to heart. Felicity has told another friend about him. It must mean something for her to have spoken to a good friend about him. It's either because she found their relationship meaningful enough to speak of it fondly and proudly to someone she trusts, or it's because she needed a shoulder to lean on after he had broken her heart. Perhaps it's both. Oliver remains silent as he ponders.

Curtis, however, seems to share some of his female friend's traits when it comes to communicating. He barrels on without considering how the other guy in the room probably feels. "So, you must be Jonas?"

Oliver simply nods.

Curtis smiles at the confirmation. He looks at Felicity, still sleeping soundly, and then he looks back at Oliver. "I've tried to pry more out of her about you, but she says you're the kind of person that values his privacy. All she's ever told me is that you've been living here on this island for a few years, working as a fisherman. Very interesting, by the way. She also tells me that, if not for the color of your skin and hair, and your beautiful blue eyes – her words, not mine – you literally blend among the locals in the area. Thanks for being Felicity's friend, and for helping her adjust to a life here. I know it isn't easy."

Once again, Oliver simply nods.

Finally, Curtis appears to have picked up on Oliver's unwillingness to carry on an actual conversation that revolved around him or his relationship with Felicity. So, Curtis asks, "Have the doctors said when she'll be ready for discharge? Our office wants me to take her back to Manila."

"Yeah?" Oliver actually responds to Curtis verbally this time. His reaction is instinctive, considering Curtis is talking about Felicity leaving soon.

Curtis replies, "Yes. When she's strong enough, they want her flown back to the States to recover there. Afterwards, she'll be reassigned to another ALS project in a place far away from here, at her mother's request, of course. Ms. Smoak was pretty adamant about that."

"Oh…"

Neither of them gets to elaborate on their responses because Felicity wakes up, her eyelids fluttering gently until her tired eyes open completely. Upon seeing Oliver beside her, she feels for his hand, and when she finds it (because he finds hers first), she squeezes it gently to reassure her that he really is right there near her. The last thing she remembers before giving in to sleep a few hours ago is his promise not to leave her.

"Hey," Oliver tells her, "how are you feeling?"

"Better," she whispers. Her throat is dry and she asks for water.

After Oliver helps her sip some water through a straw, he tells her, "There's someone here to see you." He motions for her to look to her other side, and when she does, she immediately recognizes Curtis smiling down at her with his pearly white teeth.

"Curtis… You came," she says, as she tries to lift herself to a sitting position.

Curtis tells her, "Whoa, whoa, take it easy now. Don't try to get up just yet. You've been through a lot."

Felicity does as she's told. With her free hand, she reaches out to grab her friend's hand. "Thank you for coming. How'd you…?"

"The village captain contacted the office and informed us of your condition. I came ASAP. I'm so glad to know that you're going to be fine," Curtis answers, smiling. "As soon as you are released from here, we're flying back to Manila."

"What? No," Felicity mildly protests. Her voice would have been louder had she not been significantly weakened by the virus that she contracted. "But the children… I have a class to teach."

"Another ALS teacher is being reassigned to resume your classes, Felicity. As soon as the office finds a suitable replacement, they're gonna send him or her here. Don't you worry," Curtis assures her, but he fails.

"Meanwhile, you rest. You'll be flying back to Vegas as soon as you're strong enough, and you'll spend some mandatory leave to recover from your illness. When you're back on your feet, the director says you can ask to be reassigned to any country of your choice – except, of course, one that hasn't been red-flagged for being a dengue hot spot. Can't risk you getting re-infected, right?" Curtis chuckles, but he chuckles all by himself.

"No, I don't wanna be reassigned! And I didn't ask to be transferred, let alone go on leave," says Felicity, on the verge of tears. She turns to Oliver with pleading eyes. "Oliver, please tell him. I have to stay."

Oliver is torn. He wants her – needs her – to stay on the islands so that she can be with him and they can build a life together, the consequences of him telling her the whole truth about his secrets be damned. But he also wants her to be safe – away from the possibility of getting sick like this again, away from getting hurt if and when she chooses to be with someone with a troubled history, away from the possibility of having to deal with the repercussions of people finding out about his identity and his whereabouts. He really does not know what to say.

They haven't even spoken about their fallout before she fell ill. He has been too preoccupied with taking good care of her, and she has been deliriously sick, that there has just been no opportunity yet for them to mend. For him to come clean. For her to forgive him and to give him a second chance.

And now, this.

Perhaps this is a sign. A sign telling him that he doesn't have to tell her everything that might just hurt her even more. A sign telling him that all he needs to do is just to let things be.

And that he has to let her go.

* * *

_A/N: You still there? Comments and reviews are much appreciated._


	6. Chapter 6

**Islands**

* * *

_A/N: Like chapter 3, this one is told from Felicity's POV. _

_Summary: Felicity is stranded on the island due to an incoming storm. Oliver is nowhere to be found. She discovers answers to her questions from an unexpected "friend."_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"So much for getting on the last ferry out to Busuanga," Curtis remarks with a heavy sigh. "Guess I'm stuck in this tropical island with you for a few more days."

He and Felicity had left the village early to catch the last ferry boat from Culion that would take them to Busuanga where the nearest airport is. They had arrived at the docks on time, only to find out that all sea-faring vessels and all airline flights in and out of Palawan islands were grounded due to inclement weather. Upon checking the forecast, they learned that the tropical depression that had entered the Philippine area of responsibility the other day - the day she was discharged from the hospital - had developed into a tropical storm. It was moving fast and strong. It was expected, not only to develop into a tropical cyclone once it makes landfall in the Visayas region, but also to pass through Palawan, specifically, the Coron group of islands. All residents were being advised to seek shelter and secure their homes as they brace for the storm.

"You don't hear me complaining," Felicity tells him while they trudged along the dirt road. "I didn't want to leave. I still don't."

Curtis replies, "I get it, Felicity. I do. But I have to follow orders. You can take it up with the director once you're Stateside. Convince him to send you back here. Tell him that the islands have become your home away from home. Tell him that you've fallen in love with the children... and with a certain blonde and blue-eyed fisherman with the body of Greek god or Olympian. Take your pick."

"Shut up, Curtis!" she yells, elbowing his side at the same time.

"Ow! Why doth the lady protest much?" Curtis continues to tease. "The guy is obviously in love with you, and you are obviously head over heels in love with him. It doesn't take a genius - though we both are - to figure that out. He certainly took good care of you, and you trusted him completely. And what's more? You two quarrel and argue like an old married couple."

Felicity just keeps walking, kicking a pebble or two as they walk. She knows she wouldn't be able to counter Curtis' claims logically because she knows deep in her heart that they're true. She also certainly doesn't want to be unkind to her friend, who is currently carrying her luggage in addition to his, as they make their way up the path towards Jonas' little shack near Mang Mario's house.

They had been warned by the _barangay _captain not to go back to her beachside cottage because they wouldn't be safe there during the storm. The place where Jonas and Mang Mario live is on higher ground, so she thought about seeking shelter with them. She doesn't feel comfortable about the idea, considering how painfully she and Jonas had parted when she was discharged from the hospital, but Curtis convinced her that they really didn't have a better option at the moment. Their safety depended on it, literally.

"Doesn't matter anyway," Felicity mutters under her breath, but Curtis still hears her. "I'm leaving, and he's marrying Celia."

"He's marrying who?" Curtis asks, surprised.

"Doesn't matter either," she answers. She is quiet for a beat, and then after some reflection, she adds, "Maybe it's all for the best. Maybe we aren't meant to be. He is his own island, and I am mine."

"You really are heartbroken, aren't you? These islands are turning you into a lovesick poet."

"Curtis, you know I've already been through a lot. I've had my heart broken too many times. I know how it feels to be left alone or left behind, and I know how it feels to have to leave those I cared about. Seems like it's my lot in life. What's one more? I think I'll make it," she tells him, forcing herself to smile.

Felicity knows the pep talk is really for herself, not her friend. Those lines are exactly what she's been telling herself for the past few days. They've helped her for the most part - helped her leave the hospital with Curtis instead of Jonas, pack all of her belongings and souvenirs of the islands, and head to the ferry docks that morning. However, those words haven't helped her for that one important part that mattered - the healing of her broken heart.

She knows it wouldn't be easy having to ask to stay with Jonas or Mang Mario's family until the storm is over, just like it wouldn't be easy having to say goodbye to him one more time, but she has no other option. The storm is expected to make landfall that evening, and the village does not have an inn.

* * *

"Jonas is not here? Do you know where he is?" Felicity asks Mang Mario worriedly.

She and Curtis made it to Jonas' tiny place but found it empty, so they went looking for him next door at Mang Mario's house, only to find that Jonas isn't there either.

"I don't know where he went. I'm sorry. He looked somewhat sad this morning. He left after refusing breakfast without saying where he was going," the old fisherman answers.

"Oh, that's... too bad," she says, disappointed as well. "Uhm... my friend and I were wondering if we could..." She clears her throat, nervous about whether or not the family of Jonas' supposed bride would take them in. "...if we could stay with you for a couple of days, just until the weather clears out. Our flight got cancelled. And we have nowhere to go that's safe."

Mang Mario looks at the two of them with concern and pity. "Oh yes, a storm is coming. You are welcome to stay with us. And Jonas too, as soon as he comes back. His shack might not be safe for all of you. We can't offer much, but so far, this small house has made it through some tough storms through the years," the old man tells her. His English isn't the best, and he struggles as he speaks, but the man is kind and patient enough to press on despite the language hurdles.

Mang Mario smiles, as he opens the door to the house and lets them in. The modest, average-sized, single-storey house is made of crudely finished cement walls, wooden windows and doors, and linoleum tiled floors. There is no ceiling, just wooden beams that support the metal sheet roofing. There are no walls separating the living from the dining area, which leads straight into a cramped kitchen. There is only one small bedroom, which Mang Mario shares with his wife; it doesn't have a door, just a floral-patterned curtain.

After feeding them rice and fried fish for lunch, Mang Mario's wife leads Felicity to the bedroom. She explains that Felicity can have the small room to herself and that Curtis can sleep on a foam mattress on the floor just outside the room. The rest of the family will sleep on native straw mats in the living area. All of them get to set up mosquito nets at bedtime. Felicity finds the family's generous (though conservative) Filipino hospitality, impressive and humbling.

* * *

In the late afternoon, the incoming storm can already be felt. The winds are getting stronger, and the grayish clouds in the sky are blocking what remains of the fading sunlight over the horizon. Mang Mario is monitoring weather updates via a battery-operated, transistor radio, but neither Felicity nor Curtis can completely understand the news reports because they are in Filipino.

"The storm is expected to make landfall here in a few hours. The local electric company will be cutting off power. Signal number three," Mang Mario informs them.

Felicity nods in understanding, but worry is written on her face. "It's going to be dark soon. Jonas isn't back yet."

"I know. I am worried about him, too," says Mang Mario, looking out the only window in the house that's still open, to watch the sea from afar. "I hope he hasn't done anything foolish."

"What do you mean?" Felicity asks, curiosity and concern evident in her voice. She fears the old man knows more than he's telling her.

Mang Mario does not get to answer her then. His daughter Celia approaches and lays mosquito nets on a table near the open window. The young woman glances at Felicity with sad eyes.

Felicity notices that there is something else on the girl's facial expression. She suspects it's resentment, perhaps even jealousy, but she can't be sure. She wants so much to say something to Jonas' fiancée - to assure the girl that she isn't here to take Jonas away, that she is neither threat nor competition, but she can't find the words. It's not just because everything she wants to say isn't true; it's also because she really can't deny the feelings she still has for Jonas.

Without a word, Celia turns away and retreats into the kitchen where her mother is preparing supper. Mang Mario observes the speechless exchange, but he waits until his daughter is no longer within hearing distance before he speaks.

"Please, forgive my daughter. She does not mean to be impolite. She is... having a hard time accepting bad news."

"Oh," Felicity responds earnestly, "I am sorry to hear that."

"Don't be sorry. It isn't your fault. It isn't anyone's fault, actually. Sometimes, life does not turn out the way we want it to." The old man pauses and sighs. His broken English does not keep him from speaking his mind. "You see, Jonas spoke with me and then with Celia yesterday. He broke off their engagement. He said he cannot marry Celia for the wrong reasons, that it wouldn't be fair to her."

With a quiver in her voice, Felicity dares to ask, wondering if, by any chance, Oliver had finally found courage to be honest with himself and with the people who'd done nothing but show him kindness. "And did he... did he say what those reasons were?"

The old man quickly and candidly replies, "Jonas said, he is deeply grateful for our family's kindness to him all these years, including Celia's thoughtfulness, but he really does not see her as more than a friend or a younger sister." He moves away from the window and sits on the chair across Felicity. "He also said that he loves someone else, and that it isn't right for him to marry anyone for as long as his heart belongs to her."

Felicity notes how Mang Mario emphasizes his last word. She also sees the sincerity and sympathy in the old man's eyes. She knows that he feels for Oliver, but she also realizes that he feels for her as well, what with the way he smiles warmly at her. Tears well up in her eyes as she is overwhelmed with the knowledge that the man she loves has finally admitted and verbalized his true feelings for her, that he has come to his senses at last, and that he is no longer bound to an engagement.

"I can't say I was not disappointed. Jonas..." He pauses with slight trepidation. "He is a good man, no matter how much he keeps telling himself that he isn't. He works hard. He would make a good son-in-law. But, it was better for him to tell the truth and disappoint us, than to keep on living a lie. God knows he keeps enough secrets of his own."

"What do you mean?" Felicity asks.

Rain starts to fall. The winds beat against the windows, causing the wood panels to rap an irregular rhythm, so Mang Mario rises to secure the wooden panels that will close the windows shut. He shakes his head when he sees the big waves forming and crashing on the shore in the distance, as there would be no fishing for at least two days. He gets the task done quickly, and then he rejoins Felicity at the nearby table. The pitter-patting of raindrops on the metal roof above produces an unpleasant noise that makes the old man speak louder than before.

"I am not surprised that he has not told you. He already trusts me with his life, but he still hasn't told me the truth about who he really is. I have always thought that he would tell me, when he is ready. What he does not know is... is that I already know enough."

Felicity gasps. "Enough about what?"

Mang Mario sighs. He considers thoughtfully for a while whether or not to answer her question, and how much he can tell her. Felicity anxiously waits; she hopes she gets answers, even if just to some of her questions about the man she's learned to care about deeply.

"His name isn't Jonas Dearden. That much I am sure of. About a month after I found him washed up on our shores, I had to go to Coron Island to trade some prized catch in the tourist market. There I met two Americans looking for a missing person. They asked if I'd heard of a father and son named Robert and Oliver Queen, both Americans, who might have ended up on the island after shipwreck a few months ago. I told them, no. But when they showed me a picture, I easily recognized him. Jonas was the one they were looking for. He and his father would soon be declared dead if their search failed. I think that was what happened eventually."

Upon hearing the name of her former employer's supposedly dead son, Felicity feels a cold chill go up and down her spine. Suddenly, many things about the puzzling, complicated man she fell in love with became unbelievably clear. Her heart breaks for Jonas. She can't imagine how heavy the weight he's been carrying over the years has been. Her heart breaks for Moira Queen and his younger sister. All this time they've been led to believe that they've lost half of their family in that storm.

"I don't understand why Jonas... why he would lie about who he was... or is," Felicity says, hating how clueless she feels.

Mang Mario runs his hand over his balding head in mild exasperation. "I don't understand it, too. When he woke up in our house the day after I found him, he didn't talk much. He told me his name was Jonas, and then he said he remembered nothing more. I've always thought he had his reasons for pretending to have lost his memories, and I've respected them ever since."

"Why would he not want his family to know that he's alive? It doesn't make any sense."

"It does, if Jonas... or Oliver feels that he is in some way responsible for the tragedy that had happened. I think it's why he carries around such a load of guilt. It's like he intentionally punishes himself by avoiding happiness."

Felicity stills, as a teardrop escapes her eye. The old man did not attain much education, but his wisdom is astounding. The back story he has put together after years of knowing Jonas is highly probable. It certainly explains why, despite how he obviously feels about her, he still chose to push her away. "Oh, Jonas..." she whispers.

The rain is getting stronger, but Mang Mario still has a few more words to speak above the noise. "I have tried my best to keep his secret, even from him. But I have also prayed that one day, he would find the courage to face whatever it is he is hiding from. Maybe that day has come," he tells her, looking straight into her eyes.

"I..."

Felicity is interrupted by the loud banging of the door. Mang Mario rises and opens the door.

"Pedro! What are you doing out here in this weather?" He asks the lad, who is soaking wet despite wearing his raincoat and boots.

"Mang Mario! It's Kuya Jonas! He took the boat and went out to sea earlier. I don't know where he went. He has not come back. I fear something bad has happened to him!" Pedro explains frantically.

"Oh, good Lord..." the old man prays.

It is then that tears fall down Felicity's cheeks. "What do we do, Mang Mario? We need to find Jonas!"

"We cannot do much right now without putting more lives at risk. We don't even know where he went. All we can do us pray. As soon as the storm passes and the waters still, I will gather some fishermen and form a search party of four boats. I'm afraid that's all we can do."

That night, Felicity isn't able to sleep. It's not just because of the thunder and lightning and the howling winds that came with intermittent moderate to heavy rainfall. It's more because she fears that the love of her life is out there in this weather in grave danger. She prays all night for his safety and survival. Jonas Dearden or Oliver Queen - she doesn't really care, as long as he makes it home alive.

* * *

_A/N: Happy Holidays, and have a blessed New Year!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Islands**

* * *

_A/N: Here is the concluding chapter of this fic, with an epilogue towards the end. Happy New Year, everyone!_

_Summary: The storm has passed, and the islands are at peace._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The storm took a day and a half before finally leaving the islands. It was stronger than an average typhoon, but it left minimal damage to property in its wake because the residents had been ready for it.

Now the skies have cleared and the soft, island breeze has returned. The waters surrounding the islands are pleasantly calm, but Felicity's heart isn't.

She is past the point of being worried. She's beginning to despair, almost at the brink of losing hope, and she has no more tears left to cry. Curtis knows this, which is why he has contacted the UNESCO office in Manila to inform their superiors that they are safe, but also that they have indefinitely postponed getting on a flight back because a good friend of hers is missing due to the storm. Curtis did not have any more paid leave left, but he does not have the heart to leave his friend like this.

Since yesterday, fishermen in the village have been circling the islands in four separate boats looking for Oliver as soon as the coastguard declared that it was already safe for them to do so. Yet, he hasn't been found. One coastguard vessel has been aiding the search party, but so far, their combined efforts remain unrewarded. The coastguard could not spare any more manpower because as it turns out, Oliver isn't the only one still missing in the group of islands due to the storm. They have gone out for the last time today, and then they are going to cease search and rescue.

Mang Mario has stayed behind this time to keep Felicity company while waiting for news. The old man tries to cheer her up without giving her false hopes. He has seen a few times during his lifetime what sudden loss does to families of fishermen. He himself is taking the possibility of losing Oliver hard, and so does the rest of his family. He can only begin to imagine how the young American woman must be feeling – losing someone she loves too soon, before they even get the chance to begin a meaningful relationship. The old man isn't wrong. They have no news about Oliver yet, but Felicity has somehow begun to mourn, because as each hour passes by, the chances of getting him back decreases.

By mid-day, while Felicity and Curtis are having lunch (or trying to have lunch) with Mang Mario's family, news arrives.

Pedro storms into the house, and with a loud voice says, "They found him! Kuya Jonas is very weak, but he is alive. They are bringing him to the hospital now."

Felicity immediately stands and rushes into the bedroom to get her purse. When she emerges from the room again, she says, "Mang Mario, we are going to the hospital. Come on, Curtis!"

"Be careful," the old man reminds them. "Send Pedro back with news as soon as you are able to."

She nods in acknowledgement, and then she and Curtis join Pedro outside. Without wasting another minute, the three of them head to the hospital in Culion town proper in a tricycle.

* * *

Oliver's eyes slowly flutter open. His eyes are assaulted by bright lights, making him squint as he tries to scan his surroundings to find out where he is. He realizes that he is in a hospital room, which means he is alive. He is grateful, very grateful for a third chance at life.

The last thing he remembers before passing out on the beach is that he uttered a short, desperate prayer to be given one more chance – a prayer that was accompanied with resolute promises. He recalls promising God that he will make his life count this time, instead of wasting it wallowing in guilt and regret over the past. He promised that he will find a way to reconnect with his family. He promised that he will find Felicity Smoak and do everything it takes to make her happy for the rest of their lives – that is, if she'll still have him in spite of how much he'd hurt her because of his stubbornness and stupidity.

When he'd been out at sea, struggling to navigate his fishing boat back to Culion in the storm, the tossing and turning of giant, angry waves brought him back to that fateful day when his father's boat had sunk and he had been adrift on the life raft for days. This time, however, he did not wish to die. He wished survival. The faces of his loved ones flashed before him as he feared the worst that could happen. He remembered what his mother and his sister looked like. Unsurprisingly, Felicity was also in his mind, her face clear as day in the midst of the darkness and the cold that surrounded him. It was like they were calling out to him to make it back alive. When his boat capsized, throwing him overboard, he knew that the only way to survive was to stay afloat on it and then swim back to the shores of Coron when the waves calmed somewhat, hoping against hope that he still had the strength left in him to make it.

Thank God, he had made it.

He looks down and sees a woman with blonde hair splayed on the bed beside him. For a second, he can't believe that it's her, that she's here. He most certainly had thought that she'd be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean by now. How is she still here? Why has she stayed?

He tried to lift his hand so that he could stroke through her hair and remove some strands from her tired but beautiful face. But he finds that his hand is somewhat restrained. He realizes that she has his wrist wrapped around both her hands protectively, as if she doesn't want to miss the moment he wakes up, and she has fallen asleep with her head on the bed beside his arm. So, he stirs, moving his arm a little, to wake her and let her know that he is already awake.

Felicity straightens up and realizes that he is awake and staring at her. "Oliver? You're awake. How are you feeling?" she asks with tender concern.

"Okay, I guess," he replies softly. "You're here." He tries to smile, and he is happy that his poor attempt at reassuring her and acknowledging her presence has also made her smile warmly at him.

"Yes, I am." She moves her chair closer to him, never letting go of his hand. "I didn't get to leave. Flights and ferries were cancelled coz of the storm. Guess _your_ boat trip wasn't, huh?" she teases him. Oliver shakes his head, impressed that even in times like this, she still manages to crack a joke.

"They found you unconscious and severely dehydrated on a beach in Coron. Was that where you went?" she asks.

He nods. He closes his eyes for a while, as he contemplates how to tell her what happened. When he opens his eyes, he says, "I didn't want to see you go. So I took my boat and went to the… to _our_ cove. I figured, with you gone, being there would be the only way I could still hold on to the best memory of my life, the only way I could still feel you close."

"You could've been killed out there in the storm," she tells him. A part of her wants to scold him for suddenly being too sentimental for his own good, but she relents. She is just grateful to have him back, alive and recovering.

"I know, and I'm sorry." Oliver humbly acknowledges the foolish deed and apologizes. "I'm sorry for being so reckless. And I'm sorry too for pushing you away." He stops to take a breather. As he does, he brushes the pad of his thumbs against her wrist. He lifts her hand and brings it to his lips. After kissing the back of her hand, he confesses, "I was wrong… about everything. I shouldn't have hurt you by pushing you away. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're the light of my life. I love you, Felicity."

"Oh, Oliver…" she whispers tenderly.

He gasps, unsure if he had heard her right in calling him by his real name. "What did you call me?"

"I know who you are, Oliver. And it's okay. My feelings for you haven't changed," she says, smiling fondly at him. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"How?" He is clearly puzzled, considering he has never told a soul in the islands about the truth.

"It turns out, Mang Mario has always known. He figured out by himself a while back who you really were, when he met a couple of Americans searching for you in Coron after your father's boat went down. He never told you, and all this time he never told anyone because he respected your unspoken reasons for pretending to have lost your memories and for keeping your identity a secret. When you went missing, he finally told me."

Oliver looked down in sadness. He regrets the years of secrecy and the lies, and he piles that one on top of all the past regrets he's ever had to carry. Felicity notices this, what with his broody face making its appearance.

"Hey," she says, turning his chin to face her again. "It's okay. I don't hate you for lying about who you are. Well, maybe just a tad bit disappointed that you couldn't trust me enough to tell me the truth, but yeah, I'm just happy to have you back, safe and sound." A tear falls, and he brushes it away with his finger.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Felicity. I don't trust myself. You have no idea what I've done in the past," he tells her.

"Whatever it is, I'm not letting it come between us. Because I love you too, Oliver… or Jonas… or whatever name you want me to call you from now on. So please, stop with the guilt-trip or whatever it is that's going on in that head of yours. Okay? I'm glue, baby. And I'm never leaving you alone."

Oliver tugs her hand, gently pulling her towards him. She rises and leans over him. "Promise?" he asks, and she answers, "Promise." She closes the gap, lowering herself to him until their lips meet at last in an intimate kiss.

* * *

The next day, Oliver is discharged from the hospital. Felicity and Curtis bring him home to his shack in the village. Curtis flies to Manila the following day, leaving Felicity behind to help Oliver recuperate. The time she spends with him while he recovers is time well spent. They bond more deeply as confessions and revelations are spoken in meaningful conversations. She helps him process his issues, including his fears of having to face his family again. He helps her deal with her insecurities and fears because of past heartbreaks. A week later, Felicity manages to convince him to fly back to the States with her and see his family in Starling City.

The Queen family reunion is bittersweet, mostly sweet. Moira Queen nearly faints upon seeing her son, and when she recovers from the shock, she embraces Oliver with all her might, crying, "Oh, my beautiful boy!" Thea Queen runs to her brother and envelops him in a bone-crushing hug, telling him, "I knew you were alive. I just knew it!" Tommy Merlyn visits the Queen mansion the next day, and for the first time Felicity sees Oliver grin from ear to ear upon seeing his best friend. Two months later, he is declared legally living by the Starling City court.

Oliver spends the next six months with his family – a week of which is also spent traveling to Vegas to meet Felicity's mom. Soon, he feels homesick for the islands, and he is beyond thrilled when Felicity tells him that she misses the islands and the children too. For over a month, they talk about the possibility of going back, considering pros and cons and how it will affect both their lives. When they finally decide to go for it, they have the support of both their families backing them up.

About a year later since they left the islands, they return to Culion to make a life for themselves there, as Mr. and Mrs. Oliver and Felicity Queen. Months prior to their arrival in the village, Queen Consolidated donated a huge sum to build and run a non-government ALS center for the free education of the children on the island. Oliver and Felicity work together to run the facility and supervise the teaching and non-teaching personnel. Oliver still goes out fishing from time to time because, not only does it provide free food on the table; it also makes him deliriously happy to see how his wife swoons at him working under the sun all sweaty and shirtless.

They return to Starling City two years later to visit family, as well as for Felicity to give birth to their first child, a beautiful baby girl whom they name Mia. Another two years later, Lucas is born. Both kids learn how to swim as infants, and they grow up loving the islands just as much as their parents do.

* * *

_A/N: I hope you like how the story ended. I would really love to know. :-) If you have been following this fic but have not been commenting, I'd also like to hear from you as we say goodbye to the islands. Thank you all for reading!_


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